I bought this pair of red leather pants at a thrift store in Athens, Georgia a few years ago. I never wore them, nor did I ever intend to. (Although Tony did try them on briefly and they fit surprisingly well.) Rather, I bought the pants to use as covers for Italian Long Stitch books. Now, years after the initial purchase, I am putting these pants to use.

I am making a series of books using pieces of the suede pants as the covers, and quite perfectly, the decorative leather strips seen in the first photo have become the ties that close the books. I've recently ordered some new book binding thread, so I am planning to make more of these mini leather books in different color schemes and using different papers for the interior pages.

Handmade in Nashville, TN

@linenlaidfelt on Instagram

I’m heading over to @watkinscollege this morning to teach my Italian Long Stitch workshop, and I can’t wait to see all of the beautiful leather books that my students create today. This will also be the longest I’ve ever been away from my baby, but my thoughtful husband @gonzalezreports offered to stop by with Lily on my lunch break to drop off a coffee so I can give her a smooch. 😘👶🏻 .
.
.
.
.
@watkinscommunityeducation #nashville #handmadeinnashville #bookarts #bookbinding #nashvilleartist #nashvilleart #bookartist #bookworm #booklover #leatherboundbook #linenlaidfelt #watkinscommunityeducation #watkinscollege #artclass #artworkshop #bookbindingworkshop #longstitch #italianlongstitch #bookspine #bookspinebeauty
#honestmotherhood #newmom #newmama #carveouttimeforart #creativelifehappylife #artistmeetsmother #mothermaker #motherhood #motherhoodrising #livecolorfully

I'm feeling so lucky to have TWO Valentines this year. After celebrating 17 Valentine's Days together, @gonzalezreports and I now have this new little cutie to smother with love. (Don't miss the second photo, which shows how much she obviously loves all of our kisses... 😂😘)
.
.
.
.
.
#valentinesday #valentines #babysfirstvalentines #newparents #honestmotherhood #newmom #newmama #motherhood #motherhoodrising #newbornphoto #newbornphotography

It has been so sweet to see my baby girl start to take interest in our pup Porter. She's completely enamored with everything he does, and will stop whatever she's doing (even crying or fussing) when he walks into the room. She loves to pet him, and thinks it's hilarious when she sticks her hand in front of his big mouth and he licks her little fingers. It will be interesting to see how this dog and baby relationship develops once she starts crawling. .
.
.
.
.
#babyhand #dogpaw #bullmastiff #brindle #brindledog #brindlebullmastiff #bullmastiffrescue #bullybreed #adopteddog #adopteddogsofinstagram #nashvillepets #dogsofinstagrm #rescuedogsofinstagram #bullmastifflove #babieswithdogs #kidswithdogs #futurebestfriends #honestmotherhood #newmom #newmama #motherhood #motherhoodrising #eastnashville

#throwbackthursday to that crazy handbound book I made last summer that had more than 2,000 pages and a spine that was 2 feet long. The book was so long and flexible that it could twist, bend, and curl (including around my belly when I was eight months pregnant).
.
.
.
.
.
#bookarts #bookbinding #copticbinding #bookspinebeauty #nashvilleartist #nashville #handmadeinnashville #tbt #babybump #eightmonthspregnant #carveouttimeforart #creativelifehappylife #creativeprocess #artistmeetsmother #artistofinstagram #womanowned #womanownedbusiness #smallbuinessowner #creativebusiness #mothermaker #motherhood #motherhoodrising #livecolorfully #wearethemakers #motherartist #creativehappylife #honestmotherhood #newmom #newmama

linenlaid&felt

Handmade Books by Katie Gonzalez

Handmade books and bookbinding classes by Nashville artist Katie Gonzalez. This website for linenlaid&felt handmade books showcases her handbound journals, sketchbooks, photo albums, wedding guest books, and baby books. Katie Gonzalez studied book arts in Cortona, Italy, teaches book binding in Nashville, and sells her work through Etsy online, at Parnassus Books in Nashville, and at regional art shows such as Porter Flea and Handmade and Bound in Nashville, Tennessee.